The Stuffing Recipe That May Help Increase Your Milk Supply This Thanksgiving

If you've decided to breastfeed your baby, but find yourself struggling to produce enough, you're not alone. It can be draining (literally) to research and try every tip and trick under the sun in the hopes one of them will help you with a low supply of breast milk. For some, it can be as simple as switching up their dietary habits. Many moms swear by lactation-friendly foods for a nutritional breastfeeding boost. With the holiday season just around the corner, you might be interested to know that there's a stuffing recipe that could help increase your milk supply. If you're pessimistic about whether or not this new dish will work for you, don't fret just yet. After all, in the worst case scenario, you're still left with a delicious dish to enjoy. There's really no downside to giving this lactation-boosting recipe a try.

You might be wondering what, in particular, makes this stuffing recipe more likely to help breastfeeding mothers with their milk supply. It all has to do with galactogogues. If you're anything like I am, you're going to be sorely disappointed that the terms has absolutely nothing to do with galaxies or anything related to science fiction. As it turns out, the categorization of galactogogues refer to any herbs, foods, or supplements shown to increase lactation in breastfeeding mothers, according to a recent report from the official website of the American Pregnancy Association (APA). Though galactogogues can be synthetically produced in this modern day and age for medical purposes, there is a long list of natural, readily available items to use instead. For instance, in a study which was published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), researchers found, "plants with galactogogues components include fenugreek, fennel, goat's rue, asparagus, anise, and milk thistle." Luckily, pretty much all of these items are affordable and easily found in your local grocery store. You might even have some of the above ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator already.

With a list of galactogogues in mind, you can create plenty of breast milk-boosting dishes. Though trying out new meals can be fun year-round, there truly is just something special about Thanksgiving and other meal-centric events. Since the holidays are practically synonymous with extra cooking (and eating), then there's no better time than now to add the Wild Rice Stuffing recipe from A Pretty Life In The Suburbs, to your festive food repertoire. The wild rice, chickpeas, and herbs used in this dish are great galactogogue options.

The reason this dish is such a great choice for moms with milk production challenges is because it contains so many of the foods and herbs that are believed to increase a breastfeeding mother's milk supply. As Regina Yunghans told The Kitchn, "whole grains, dark, leafy greens, fennel, garlic, chickpeas, nuts and seeds, ginger, papaya, and spices, like cumin seeds, anise seeds, fennel seeds, and turmeric," are all common galactogogues that are thought to boost a woman's milk supply. Plus, you can tweak the stuffing recipe to include more or a different combination of the galactogogue ingredients. You may even find a few variations to work into your meal-planning far beyond the holiday season.

Whether or not this particular stuffing recipe gives you the boosted milk supply that you were hoping for, it's always a good idea to keep in mind that every breastfeeding journey is different. If you feel that there might actually be an underlying medical issue with you or your little one, then please don't hesitate to reach out to a your physician or lactation consultant immediately. When it comes right down to it, all your baby truly needs from you is your love. A happy and healthy mother means a happy and healthy child.